Tuesday 03/03/15

Iowa Political Event Puts Spotlight on Ag Policy

Iowa businessman Bruce Rastetter put together the Iowa Agriculture Summit for Saturday with a lineup of confirmed speakers oriented heavily around Republican presidential candidates. The ag summit is expected to draw 900 Iowans as well as national media to cover the candidates and event.[Read Full Blog Post]

Here in Ohio farmland taxes have gone up by an average of 62 percent. This increase is surfacing due to changes in the so-called CAUV formula for discounting farmland taxes as well as huge increases in farmland prices over the last decade. This is really squeezing farmers and landowners who lease out farmland. On the one hand lower commodity prices are hitting both of these people, and on top of that, the higher taxes are either being swallowed by the landowners or passed on to farmers in the form of higher rents. The winner is of course the state and local governments. I recently asked one of the county treasurers of a major agricultural county what she was going to do with the gushing of revenue flowing into her coffers. She couldn't tell me. Oh Lord, I am sure it will be spent on something that they have been eyeballing for years!

Posted by tom vogel at
8:41PM CST 02/26/15

Wednesday 02/25/15

Former Congressman Looks at Ag Policy Challenges Ahead

Former Rep. Tom Latham, a Republican from Iowa, told a room of journalists, bloggers and public-relations staff late Tuesday afternoon that it would be a bad idea to reopen any aspect of the farm bill.[Read Full Blog Post]

Monday 02/23/15

Ag Contracts Transitioning to Ag Consolidation

Omaha agricultural attorney David Domina gave his own perspective on the impacts of consolidation on farming in Nebraska during a speech Friday at the state's flagship university in Lincoln.[Read Full Blog Post]

Friday 02/20/15

Tentative Deal Reached in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute

In a statement emailed out just after 7 p.m. Pacific (9 p.m. Central) on Friday, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced they had reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports.[Read Full Blog Post]

Thursday 02/19/15

Senator Turns Crop Insurance into a Pork Parody

Sen. Jeff Flake released a parody of a BBQ sign on Wednesday as a way to keep the spotlight on a bill he helped introduce earlier this month. Flake and a few of his colleagues have embraced the proposal by President Barack Obama's FY 2016 budget to get rid of the premium subsidy for the Harvest Price Option on crop insurance.[Read Full Blog Post]

Thursday 02/12/15

Dueling Biotech Labeling Efforts in Congress

Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas, lashed out Thursday at three Democrats in Congress for introducing a bill that would require labeling foods that have ingredients from biotech crops. The congressmen said lawmakers should "stop listening to celebrity chefs and well-heeled 'activists,' and start really caring about those less fortunate."[Read Full Blog Post]

Nothing like working for the big food companies and just ignoring people

Posted by melvin meister at
9:50PM CST 02/17/15

Nothing like thinking with emotion not backed up by scientific facts.

Posted by CRAIG MOORE at
10:29AM CST 02/18/15

Tuesday 02/10/15

Crop Insurance Cuts and the Chronic Budget Problem

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the crop-insurance industry came out of its annual convention over the weekend committed to fending off potential federal budget cuts. Crop insurers see themselves as under fire because of proposals in both Congress and the Obama administration that would cut spending on crop insurance anywhere from $220 million to $1.6 billion a year.[Read Full Blog Post]

Chris, My two cents worth on crop insurance. First I think it is a great tool and has it's place,but it is also a big waste.Why should the federal gov. be keeping some of these guys in business?There are farmers here and everywhere that can't farm in a exellent year.The only way they survive is insurance and I am talking big farms,not your average farm.It's like the goverment bailing out the car companies, let them die somone take their place.Crop insurance should only cover direct cost and not make these poor producers richer every year.

Posted by Raymond Simpkins at
10:13AM CST 02/11/15

Monday 02/09/15

Great, Another COOL Blog

Supporters of country-of-origin labeling declared victory Monday that they had beaten back a federal lawsuit filed by the nation's meatpackers and other critics of the legislation. A bigger question was just how relevant the litigation is in the grand scheme of things because the World Trade Organization is going to tell everyone what is going to happen with COOL.[Read Full Blog Post]

Dump the ARC/PLC program. I do not think that the farmers/producers asked for it. These are dreamed up pet projects. They want a strong crop insurance program...

Posted by Mr. Brandy at
3:58PM CST 02/05/15

It will come back to land. Wider margins will be required when mechanisms are removed that stabilize gross revenue â? increasing risk. This is especially true when balance sheets turn poor. Yeah inputs: equipment, fertilizer, seed and chemicals will be cut. But large corporation will sell their agriculture divisions when it appears maintaining market share doesnâ?t meet finance objects. Prices tend to rise when financials trump market share in a marketing plan. Farmers, in the longer run, will eek out profits they are collectively willing to accept. So in the large haul it will be land that takes the hardest squeezed. Our landlords may want to join the bankers, insurance agents and farmer groups if they like something similar to status quo. Freeport, IL

Posted by Freeport IL at
8:45AM CST 02/06/15

Tuesday 02/03/15

Senators Renew Effort to Cap Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies

A day after the chairmen of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees scoffed at President Barack Obama's proposal to cut crop insurance, a pair of senators introduced a bill that would translate into significant cuts to crop insurance for the nation's largest farmers.[Read Full Blog Post]

Ahead of a scheduled joint hearing Wednesday of the Senate Environment and Public Works and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees on the waters of the U.S. rule to be finalized this spring, one congressman is pressing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fully respond to a request for information about the agency's efforts to map potential waters of the U.S. that could become jurisdictional with the new rule.[Read Full Blog Post]

Tue Mar 3, 2015 02:09 PM CSTIowa businessman Bruce Rastetter put together the Iowa Agriculture Summit for Saturday with a lineup of confirmed speakers oriented heavily around Republican presidential candidates. The ag summit is expected to draw 900 Iowans as well as national media to cover the candidates and event.

Thu Feb 26, 2015 09:05 AM CSTFarm states are looking at a variety of options to generate revenue. Here are a couple of recent examples as Iowa and Kansas seek to address infrastructure or budget holes.

Wed Feb 25, 2015 08:58 AM CSTFormer Rep. Tom Latham, a Republican from Iowa, told a room of journalists, bloggers and public-relations staff late Tuesday afternoon that it would be a bad idea to reopen any aspect of the farm bill.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 02:32 PM CSTOmaha agricultural attorney David Domina gave his own perspective on the impacts of consolidation on farming in Nebraska during a speech Friday at the state's flagship university in Lincoln.

Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:05 PM CSTIn a statement emailed out just after 7 p.m. Pacific (9 p.m. Central) on Friday, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced they had reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports.

Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:09 AM CSTSen. Jeff Flake released a parody of a BBQ sign on Wednesday as a way to keep the spotlight on a bill he helped introduce earlier this month. Flake and a few of his colleagues have embraced the proposal by President Barack Obama's FY 2016 budget to get rid of the premium subsidy for the Harvest Price Option on crop insurance.

Thu Feb 12, 2015 01:07 PM CSTRep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas, lashed out Thursday at three Democrats in Congress for introducing a bill that would require labeling foods that have ingredients from biotech crops. The congressmen said lawmakers should "stop listening to celebrity chefs and well-heeled 'activists,' and start really caring about those less fortunate."

Tue Feb 10, 2015 07:12 AM CSTIt shouldn't surprise anyone that the crop-insurance industry came out of its annual convention over the weekend committed to fending off potential federal budget cuts. Crop insurers see themselves as under fire because of proposals in both Congress and the Obama administration that would cut spending on crop insurance anywhere from $220 million to $1.6 billion a year.

Mon Feb 9, 2015 05:07 PM CSTSupporters of country-of-origin labeling declared victory Monday that they had beaten back a federal lawsuit filed by the nation's meatpackers and other critics of the legislation. A bigger question was just how relevant the litigation is in the grand scheme of things because the World Trade Organization is going to tell everyone what is going to happen with COOL.

Tue Feb 3, 2015 08:19 PM CSTA day after the chairmen of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees scoffed at President Barack Obama's proposal to cut crop insurance, a pair of senators introduced a bill that would translate into significant cuts to crop insurance for the nation's largest farmers.

Tue Feb 3, 2015 03:19 PM CSTAhead of a scheduled joint hearing Wednesday of the Senate Environment and Public Works and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees on the waters of the U.S. rule to be finalized this spring, one congressman is pressing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fully respond to a request for information about the agency's efforts to map potential waters of the U.S. that could become jurisdictional with the new rule.

Mon Feb 2, 2015 09:29 AM CSTAgriculture faces various studies and mixed signals when it comes to climate change. Farmers need to adapt yet many argue that agriculture also does more harm than good trying to mitigating greenhouse gases through biofuels.

Wed Jan 28, 2015 09:32 AM CSTVal Dolcini, head of the Farm Service Agency, is making the rounds to talk to producers about farm-program enrollment. I spoke to him briefly this week about the enrollment numbers and how FSA is getting the message out about the programs.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 09:56 AM CSTI was somewhat caught off-guard Friday when a few members of Practical Farmers of Iowa asked that I stick around their conference for a one-woman play performance. I was already facing an evening drive home and dinner from a drive-thru.

Sun Jan 18, 2015 09:47 AM CSTLate Saturday evening, the White House issued a fact sheet on a new tax proposal President Barack Obama will roll out Tuesday night at his State of the Union speech. The plan effectively increases taxes on wealthier people while offering some tax breaks for middle-class wage-earners.